In Idaho, a struggle over Medicaid expansion exposes the limits of forcing change via ballot measure.
Arizona
Posted inApril 15, 2019: Scene of the Crime
An Arizona border sheriff confronts the wall
President Trump’s pitch is ‘a sound bite, not a cogent public policy position.’
Posted inArticles
Mining companies pollute waterways. Citizens pay.
Nearly 2 billion pounds of toxic waste were dumped into western waterways in 2017, and taxpayers are left to clean up the mess.
Posted inMarch 18, 2019: Arizona's Wild Horse Paradox
Tenacious & twelve; junior ranger at 103; imperiled snowplow drivers
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
Can stories help us understand the realities of migration?
In her new novel, Valeria Luiselli explores the possibilities and limits of writing about the border crisis.
Posted inMay 27, 2019: Public Pushback
Militias, MAGA activists and one border town’s complicated resistance
How Arivaca, Arizona, became a magnet for anti-immigrant activists – and what locals did next.
Posted inMarch 4, 2019: El Nuevo Movimiento
One family makes sense of losing its Colorado River water
Pinal County farmers suffer more drastic cuts than cities in Arizona’s tenuous drought plan.
Posted inMarch 4, 2019: El Nuevo Movimiento
Environmental victories don’t guarantee economic justice
Without a just transition, the Navajo Generating Station closure will have harmful consequences.
Posted inArticles
The Grand Canyon turns 100
A reflection on the peculiar history that lead to the iconic national park designation.
Posted inMarch 4, 2019: El Nuevo Movimiento
Humanitarian aid is being criminalized at the border
Deterrence strategies have turned increasingly punitive for immigrants and activists.
Posted inArticles
Western voters care more about climate than ‘energy dominance’
An annual survey reveals a leap in support of conservation policies.
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
Seattle’s highway hell; crazy river questions; a sweet spill
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
One tribal nation could decide the fate of Arizona’s drought plan
The Gila River Indian Community could pull out of the plan in light of a new bill threatening to undermine their water rights.
Posted inFebruary 18, 2019: Barriers to Entry
Border security will always be elusive
The Borderlands have long been governed by impermanent and shifting policies.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
Update: The decline of Western snowpack is real
Data confirms climate model predictions of less snow that melts earlier in the season.
Posted inArticles
States and advocates help tackle ‘crisis’ at national parks
Amid the government shutdown, the Park Service faces trash mounds and lost revenue.
Posted inArticles
Record number of endangered wolves found dead
The U.S. recovery program for Mexican gray wolves continues to struggle.
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
Earthquake struck; the anti-baby boom; blowtorching spiders
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
As the ecosystem of news changes, will journalists adapt fast enough?
Blooms can still be found in the West’s news desert.